This is one of my builds, this time decided to go fanless, after having really good results with air cooling and open cases.As expected, 100% passive, without any airflow isn't that simple, and while open case works great with slow fans (compared to even very well ventilated conventional case), if you remove airflow entirely, things get pretty warm..

Case: Dimastech BT103 mini

Anyway, results are good enough, I'm using i7 2700k with thermalright hr-22, close to stock clocks (overclocked from 3.9 to 4ghz), with all power saving features turned on. Max load voltage is just 1.1V. Temps in idle: 40-45, normal usage stress (like games), around 60. Full load in occt, not going to try, most likely would hit very high unsafe temps, but I never see such load, in any game, not in for example video processing, so there is no point.I'm aware that hr-22 isn't best possible fanless cooler, it is also very expensive. Normally I wouldn't buy it, just found a good deal on forums, and that made it worth it.

GPU is msi gaming 750ti, stock clocks with xigmatek bifrost cooler (old cooler, pretty good, got it mainly for the looks, as it is anodized black). There is room for improvements, could lower the voltage in bios, I plan to do that later. With lowering power target, card hits around 60-65C in games that stress it constattly yo 70-80%. Will go higher if you run no v-synch so 100% load all the time, but stays below 80 (about 75), so there is no throttling. From what people say you can lower voltage below stock, and still overclock card past stock clocks, which results in faster and cooler card.

There is one ssd, and one 2,5'' wd blue drive (disabled parking in os). If you put ear next to it, it is audiable, but about 1m away, not. I plan to just place it further away from the case, using esata cable, in wardrobe or closet. Cheaper and more effective solution, than buying overpriced scythe quiet drive or equivalent.

Psu is from my previous build, I'm going to reuse it future, so ignore the overkill wattage. It never turns on fan in this system, as it wasn't in heavy oc i7 + gtx680 + advanced watercooling system. Fan turns on at around 80% load, so it isn't easy to do with any single core card (unless mining with 290 i guess).

What is important, there is no coil whine. Psu, mobo and gpu, even under load, silent as rock, no buzzing. Which makes me happy, because so far every single graphic card (especially higher end models) were producing coil noises under load.

With these pretty heatsinks it is definitely something that grabs attention and looks nice in your home, probably.

Although keeping it dust free would be important (to me at least).

Btw: you think the SSD does not make noise, but I don't think that's true. I have never done measurements (because I have never owned one and in any case I do not have such equipment) but I'm pretty sure it produces sound above 20kHz, probably way above, something in the range of 50-60 kHz. And to me, I can sense it without even ever having owned one, it would be an unhealthy frequency, that I do not sense or experience with regular flash memory (usb sticks or SD cards). And perhaps it is just due to the controllers they use, that create patterns of access - I doubt the memory technology itself is at flaw here. But I can tell something is not right about it. Something that's also prevalent from the fact that these devices have been marketed in a really weird way, with lots of malfunctioning and dead drives. And the ones who have been marketed most aggressively - the OCZ drives - are the ones to most avoid. So this technology is simply flawed - it has to be. Never in the history of mechanical hard-drives has the question been "what drive has the least chance of dying on me out of the blue?" and that is the question still today for these SSD devices. So it is clear we are dealing with something that has been prematurely rushed to the market and hence may expose electrical properties that are not in line with robust or healthy design.

But back to your build.

I really love it and it is a shame you cannot redesign the IO-panel of the motherboard, most importantly, and especially the colours (of the audio jacks). That kind of spoils it (it's just too cheap). You'd maybe want to replace the six of them with just 2 colours, if you could. But I love the metal rack/frame for the expansion cards. Looks real tidy too and the cables you have are very tidy and suitable.

I'd want to get rid of the blue on those smaller heatsinks too. I like to perfect everything . This thing should just have metallic colours or something matching with it, in my opinion .

About the ssds, it probably depends what brand/model. I'm having hard time hearing mine.

As for the little details, of course you're right. There are people who paint capacitors with nail polish, just to perfectly match their color theme I'm not there yet.Motherboard can be replaced though, it is just nice old P67 board, with 20 phase voltage section, tons of options, which cost me less than some cheapo haswell mobo with cheapest chipset. I just hate overpaying for new hardware

Case is normally used by me, not a htpc solution. Pics are taken in living room, just beceause there was better light.Previously I used different benchtable with fans, overclocked cpu (same i7 @ 4.8 ) and gtx670. Was also very quiet as all fans were running below their starting speed.

Honestly I'm kind of tempted to slap even 500RPM 120mm fan at the back of HR-22, would allow me for easy 4,8ghz overclock, and there is no way to hear such high quality fan, from about 1m distance. Cpu is quite good, only takes around 1.27v to hit such clock, so it is kind of a waste to keep it at nearly 1ghz slower speed, higher temps only to achieve "100% fanless" goal.

Small update, testing what happens if I add fans.Quietest fans I had, enermax uctb12 @ 5v, 480rpm. They are really quiet to the point I can't tell if they are on from around 1m distance.

Results, I can oc cpu to 4.8ghz, and still get much better temps than undervolted version fanless.Gpu as well, can be overclocked, overvolted in bios, core temp stays around 45 in furmark during heaviest overclocking.

I just fell in love with them (it). It seems they have only one model, and it is a 140mm ??????.

Some crazy dudes making 14cm fans who knows what for...

My case only has 200mm and 120mm positions, at least, the case that will be mine shortly.

Don't you just love that fan? I'm not sure where I can even buy it.

It might look sporty on an external case but it's like driving a car with the windows open and then turning the ventilation on. You have those amazing heatsinks and then... you insult them by saying they're not good enough for the task at hand. They like "what you doing to me bro?"

And I just love the Prolimatech heatsinks. Just look at them!!

I mean, my Scythe Ninja 2 pales in comparison. My Ninja is just not worth all that much. It is perfectly happy with a cheap plastic fan. It's just a big block of crazy. The metal isn't even that high quality. But these beauties here are much much more than that.

Well, obviously I compare to turned off drive.When I mean I can't hear something from certain distance, I mean, I cant distinguish the difference between turned on and off.

I'm not sure if it doesn't depend on specific unit though. Heard quite a bit of opinions that these drives were audiable at 1m, also people compared it to similar 1 platter wd red, with similar not so good results.

My previous drive (wd blue 640gb, but 2,5'' hard mounted), with disabled parking, was quieter, when you put ear next to it. But at higher distance there is no difference.

Yeah but I mean don't focus on your ears. Let the drive run for a while, and then turn it off instantly (so to speak) and then observe if you feel differently. If you don't notice any difference in how you feel, then obviously it doesn't (yet) matter to you at this point and there are then other things to pay attention to first.

But don't "listen to the drive intently for like 15 minutes". Just let it be turned on as you use it, and don't focus on it. And then issue a hdparm sleep command, or some other means of instantly putting it to sleep. But it's best if you are not even aware of it going to sleep. The less you pay conscious attention to it, the more you will be able to perceive the difference. Because then the test is simply: did I notice it going to sleep or not?

So you could just let your computer run, let the harddrive auto-spindown after a certain time, all the while you are doing something else like reading or working on a netbook or just chilling and getting lost in thought.

And then if you suddenly notice... "wow, it just span down...." then you have your answer.

The open case you are using interests me, but it seems like there is no hole on the bottom of the chassis right where the PSU fan is located. How does the PSU sit in there - is there any space between the top of the PSU and the case chassis for the fan to be able to draw some air, or is there no space at all?

I looked at the photos on the website of the case manufacturer, and looked at some of the reviews for this type of case, but none were too helpful to figure this out.

The open case you are using interests me, but it seems like there is no hole on the bottom of the chassis right where the PSU fan is located. How does the PSU sit in there - is there any space between the top of the PSU and the case chassis for the fan to be able to draw some air, or is there no space at all?

I looked at the photos on the website of the case manufacturer, and looked at some of the reviews for this type of case, but none were too helpful to figure this out.

Yes there is about 2cm of space above the psu. I use RM750, so fan never turns on in my rig, too low power consumption. But there is still technically an exhaust for warm air. Psu doesn't even get warm though.

By the way: that desk you have there looks pretty awesome too! I have never seen anything like that. I have tried once to make something primitive myself but I never fully went through with it, to my dismay. It looks as though it encloses your position and body a little *too* much, but it's one hell of a nice desk environment and it looks pretty sturdy too.

By the way: that desk you have there looks pretty awesome too! I have never seen anything like that. I have tried once to make something primitive myself but I never fully went through with it, to my dismay. It looks as though it encloses your position and body a little *too* much, but it's one hell of a nice desk environment and it looks pretty sturdy too.

As for the desk -it is custom made top, not by me, I just ordered shape of my choice.

I have never seen a desk as amazing as that, seriously. The amount of space is just lovely. It feels SO good to have that amount of space available. I think it would improve my productivity by at least 20-25%. But that is also because my desk is currently in a position (slanted roof, too low) because my uncle thinks he is very clever and I had to go along with his suggestions or I would have lost him as a "friend" back then. But as soon as it is back in its old position (perhaps a few weeks or months from now) then your desk would still consitute a 10-15% improvement.

Yes there is about 2cm of space above the psu. I use RM750, so fan never turns on in my rig, too low power consumption. But there is still technically an exhaust for warm air. Psu doesn't even get warm though.

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